Manufacturing Matters Program Celebrates Anniversary

April 9, 2015

Manufacturing Matters, East Central Indiana’s fast-track training program, celebrated a successful first year in January of 2015. This initiative, a joint effort of Ivy Tech Community College Richmond’s Corporate College, WorkOne, the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County and the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, addresses the regional skills gap by providing certified workers trained to meet a common need amongst manufacturers in the area

In its inaugural year Manufacturing Matters received 272 applicants, 50 of whom were accepted into one of the four cohorts. Of those students, 91 percent have received a Certified Production Technician credential, 44 percent have been placed in a manufacturing positions and 33 percent of those placements have been with one of the program’s employer partners. The average wage of those placed after training was $11.21, with the average wage of those placed at an employer partner being $11.55.

In 2014 Manufacturing Matters received a $150,000 three year grant from the Walmart Foundation in support of the Job Ready, Willing and Able initiative to provide skills training and industry recognized credentials. This grant, accepted through Ivy Tech Community College, will be used to increase training opportunities and raise awareness to increase participation from qualified individuals.

The program will also be expanding to include use of hands-on training, increased employer engagement in the classroom, paid shadowing experiences and an improved enrollment process. A Stakeholder Strategic Doing Session is planned to help establish new goals and pathways for the program.

For more information about the Manufacturing Matters Program, including partnership and application forms, please visit ManufacturingMatters.Info.